Perez returns to KC after missing time in Venezuela

By Dick Kaegel and Kathleen Gier / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- For eight games, the Royals missed Salvador Perez's enthusiasm and leadership behind the plate, but relief came Tuesday, when he returned to the lineup against the Twins. In a corresponding move, the team optioned catcher Adam Moore to Triple-A Omaha.

"The thing about Salvador is he's got a real energy about him," manager Ned Yost said. "When he plays the game, he plays it with a lot of passion, he plays it with a lot of energy, plus he's as good as there is in this league behind the plate. It creates a big hole when he's not here, so to have him back is a real nice feeling."

Not only is he the Royals' best catcher, but he also enters Tuesday's series opener with the second best batting average on the team. His .311 average enters Tuesday's play ranked second among American League catchers behind Minnesota's Joe Mauer. He also holds the club record for pickoffs by a catcher with nine in his career.

Just how much did they miss him?

"On a scale of 1 to 10? About 10 3/4," Yost said. "He's an integral part of our team."

Perez left the team on May 26 to spend time with his family in Venezuela following the passing of his maternal grandmother. He was on bereavement leave, then moved to the restricted list after reaching his seven-day limit.

The team went 2-6 in his absence, with George Kottaras and Moore splitting his duties.

Last week, Yost mentioned that he would like to see Perez back hitting third in the order, but he'll give him a couple days to warm up again.

"It's been eight, nine days, so we'll let him get a couple games under his belt and see what happens," Yost said.

Perez lined out to shortstop in his first at-bat and went 0-for-3 in Tuesday's 3-0 loss, but said he didn't feel rusty.

"I did a little work down in Venezuela, so I feel the same," Perez said. "I feel good -- a little late on my swing, but I'll be doing better tomorrow."

Back from Omaha, Herrera returns confident

KANSAS CITY -- Reliever Kelvin Herrera's 10-day stay with Omaha is over. He's back with Kansas City and deemed his Triple-A time beneficial.

When Herrera was demoted on May 23, his primary downfall was surrendering eight home runs in 20 1/3 innings. Royals manager Ned Yost said at the time that the young right-hander needed to restore his confidence. Has he?

"One-hundred percent," Herrera said.

To make room for Herrera, right-hander Louis Coleman was returned to the Omaha club. It was Coleman who came up from the Storm Chasers when Herrera went down. Coleman did well in his four appearances, not giving up a run in 4 1/3 innings on three hits and two walks. He also picked up a victory in relief.

Herrera pitched in five games for Omaha with 4 2/3 shutout innings, giving up two hits and three walks with six strikeouts. He also recorded a save.

"I had to work on my breaking ball and to get my confidence back to 100 percent," Herrera said. "Now I think I'm ready to go."

In addition, he won't hesitate to throw his fastball, which is often clocked at 100 mph, but he also was hammered for some of those eight home runs.

"I'm ready to throw it. I'm going to throw it down in the zone," Herrera said.

The demotion was a surprising development for Herrera, who last season as a rookie emerged as a dominant reliever. He had a 2.35 ERA in 76 games and struck out 77 in 84 1/3 innings.

His assessment of his time at Omaha: "It just makes you stronger, because you've got something to fix and when you fix it, you're good to go."

Yost says Dyson at about 80 percent, nearing return

KANSAS CITY -- It's been 17 days, but Jarrod Dyson said he's almost ready to return from his high-ankle sprain.

Dyson was injured while scaling the wall on May 15 attempting to catch a Mike Trout homer, but he considers himself lucky. At first he thought the injury was much worse.

"From the collision, I thought I'd be done a couple months," Dyson said. "I thought right when it happened it was broken. I thought the only thing holding it on was the tape, the ankle tape. That's how bad I felt like it was."

He was eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list on May 31, but has taken extra time to make sure he comes back strong.

"I'm right there, man," Dyson said. "My mindset is ready to play. I've still got to be smart about what I'm doing. You don't want to rush things and have setbacks. I'm just going with the flow, working hard and trying to get out there."

Dyson played four of the Royals' six games before the injury, just starting to get consistent playing time. He hit .268 through 18 games with eight runs, eight RBIs and six stolen bases.

"We need to get him back healthy and get him back doing what he does best," Yost said. "That'll be a benefit for us."

Royals claim outfielder Berry off waivers from Tigers

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals claimed Quintin Berry on outright waivers from the Tigers on Tuesday. The 28-year-old outfielder was immediately optioned to Triple-A Omaha.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Berry, pitcher Danny Duffy was moved from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.

In 49 games, Berry hit .168 with eight doubles and one home run for Triple-A Toledo this year. He also stole 15 bases. In May, however, he hit .106. He played in 94 games for the Tigers last year, batting .258 with 44 runs and 29 RBIs.

Berry was dropped so the Tigers could reacquire Francisco Martinez from the Mariners.

Berry was a fifth-round pick by the Phillies in 2006 out of San Diego State University. He also played for the Padres, Mets and Reds organizations prior to joining the Tigers.

Gordon, Holland named KC's Players of Month for May

KANSAS CITY -- Through fan and media voting, Alex Gordon was named the Majestic Royals Player of the Month and Greg Holland was voted the Royals' Pitcher of the Month for their efforts during May.

Gordon, a left fielder, finished May seventh in the American League in hits and 12th in batting average with a .339 mark. He led the team in hits, runs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. He was also tied for the team lead in home runs and walks.

Holland, a righty reliever, held opponents to a .185 batting average, allowing one earned run in eight May innings. He recorded saves on May 1 against Tampa Bay and May 30 in St. Louis, and finished the month 1-0 with a victory against Chicago on May 5, when he pitched a scoreless 10th inning in a 6-5 win.

Pair of Class A pitchers named to All-Star game

KANSAS CITY -- Christian Binford and Alec Mills, Royals prospects with Class A Advanced Lexington, were selected to play for the Southern Division in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. The game is set for June 18 at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, N.J.

Binford was a 30th-round selection for the Royals in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. He is 4-2 with a 2.67 ERA in 10 starts, holding opponents to a .226 batting average. He was 3-0 in five May starts with a 2.03 ERA.

Mills was a 22nd-round draft pick in last year's Draft. He is 1-2 with a 1.59 ERA and six saves in 16 appearances. Opponents have a .157 batting average against him with only 19 hits in 34 innings. He finished May with a 0.89 ERA, allowing only two earned runs in 20 1/3 innings.

Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com and Kathleen Gier is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.